While Abbott said today that local school officials “know best” whether schools should reopen, he has declined to give local governments the power to reinstate stay-at-home orders to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. https://t.co/lX3wT4XlZz— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) August 4, 2020
Abbott knows TEA, a government agency which dispenses state funds to schools, will suspend funding for any school district that doesn't follow TEA guidelines for opening. So he's once again appearing to be the authority, while distancing himself from any real responsibility. He's backing the AG's unqualified and ludicrous legal opinion, which doesn't have the force of law. And he's not putting the force of law behind it; just his empty blathering. He can't give county officials any authority, because then he'd be responsible. So the most responsible thing he can do is to refuse to allow anyone to have any authority.
Still.
So we in Texas remain unable to protect our children or ourselves from the pandemic until there is an outbreak in a school, and only then can we possibly close that school (though the Governor seems to be saying even then it's up to the school district, and county health officials have no power under the Health and Safety Code. It's times like this I shudder to remember Abbott once sat on the Texas Supreme Court.), so we'll have to wait until the barn has burned down to close the barn door.
Or even let the horses out.
Makes sense to me.
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